Quandary
by Shadow's Firebird
Summary: Ryou's friends realize that he's not safe anywhere. He's being tortured, beaten, raped, and even killed, but it's all in his head. Can they slip into his mind to save him? And really, in such a damaged mind, is there anything left to save?


**Hoshi: Okay, there may be some confusion later in the story regarding the languages. When they're wondering how to speak English, please keep in mind that neither me nor Kage knows any Japanese whatsoever.**

**Kage: Just pretend that the language of English is now called Japanese, and Japanese is called English. Just...just to make it easier.**

**Hoshi: Eh, enjoy. Do your best. XD**

Crack!

"Ouch!" Jou shouted. "When they say 'don't touch' they _mean_ it!"

Honda and Ryou lifted the suit of armor off of their friend and put it back up against the wall. Anzu rolled her eyes.

"Honestly, Jou. Why do you have to pick up the axe?"

"It looks cool!" Jou retaliated.

Shadi pulled him to his feet. "Please do not touch the artifacts."

"Alright." Jou brushed himself off and continued ahead. He wasn't about to irritate their voluntary guide for the day. Especially one whom they knew to have a vast amount of supernatural powers.

Yugi laughed. He turned to Ryou. "This is fun. I'm glad we decided to come here."

"Yeah," Ryou agreed, a grin on his face.

As they passed the Egyptian exhibit, Ryou couldn't suppress a creeping sense of foreboding. Any connection with Egypt reminded him of his Yami, whom he was desperately trying to avoid at all times. To his surprise, he had been pretty quiet lately. His last attack was about a week ago, which must have been a record for him. Though this didn't mean that Ryou was ready to get his hopes up. Eventually, Bakura would get too horny to stand it and pull Ryou into his soul room. There, he would beat and kick Ryou until he was in too much pain to fight back, but he had been known to do worse. He kept an arsenal of weapons in his room along with a good amount of torture devices. The whinette had been brutally raped countless times, and he didn't like to think about it. Ryou tried to focus on the ground as he walked by.

"_Aww. Thinking of me?" _Bakura hissed annoyingly.

"_No," _Ryou replied.

"Well I've been thinking of you," He whispered. "I've been thinking of your body, and your blood, your skin...how it all would taste."

"_I'm not your pet Bakura," _Ryou snapped. _"Can't you just leave me alone?"_

Bakura snarled, somewhat tamely. _"You think you can tell me what to do? You little bitch. I'll flay you to within an inch of your life."_

"_Let's see you try it," _Ryou grumbled. But the second he did, he regretted it. He knew that Bakura would absolutely _not_ take that lying down.

"_You little twerp!" _Bakura was completely enraged at Ryou's insolence. His voice changed to a low growl. _"That's it. I've had enough of your attitude. I'm going to fuck you until blood drips out your eyes."_

"_W-wait!" _Ryou cried. _"I didn't mean it! It…it just slipped out!"_ He was desperate to fix his mistake. He had no idea why he had been cheeky to his Yami. Maybe he was just reflecting on his bad mood.

"_I've waited too long, Ryou. I've been reserving energy, but I'm growing impatient. I want you. You're mine now."_

Anzu noticed a terrified look cross her friend's pale face. "Ryou? Are – "

She was cut off as the whinette fell to his knees, his eyes wide and fear-stricken. Bakura attempted to drag Ryou into the Millennium ring through their mental connection and he responded with full force. He grabbed his head and tried to pull away from Bakura's grasp. Though to his friends, he seemed to be having some sort of seizure.

"Ryou?" Yugi asked timidly.

Ryou didn't respond.

Shadi spoke up. "He is in a mental conflict with his other half. I'm sure this happens often, but this looks to be a particularly violent one."

"Oh," Jonouchi said. "So…is he winning?"

"It does not seem so," Shadi replied flatly.

They were all somewhat shocked that Shadi knew exactly what was going on. Bewildered, they watched in awe as Ryou just knelt on the floor, holding his head and clenching his teeth. Anzu sat down next to him.

"Ryou?" She asked slowly. "Hey? Ryou? What's going on in there?"

The whinette looked up at her, terror evident in his eyes. But in a split second, all emotion left his face, and he fell to the floor. Anzu gasped.

Shadi was nodding. "He lost. He has been dragged into the confides of his soul."

"Okay…so, now what?" Honda asked. "Do we just wait for him to wake up?"

"We could," Shadi said. "But that could take hours. And judging by how violently your friend was fighting back, I think he might be in danger."

"Can we help him?" Anzu wondered.

"Yes, actually," Shadi said. "We could use my Millennium Key to go into his soul."

Excited at the prospect of an adventure, Jou jumped up. "Then let's go!"

Yugi however, spoke up. "But if you go into someone's soul, you see everything. All their hopes, and dreams, everything about them. Isn't that kind of invading his privacy?"

"Yes," Shadi replied, "But I believe that he'd rather have that than what his other half could be doing to him. I've heard that he was a particularly violent spirit."

Anzu leaned down next to her short friend, smiling. "Besides, Ryou's a pretty quiet guy. We don't know much about his interests, or what he likes to do, or what he's good at. This would be a cool chance to find out."

Yugi nodded, grinning back. "Yeah, okay. And we need to rescue Ryou too. Who knows what kind of crazy arguments he and his Yami get into!"

"Alright. Please hold onto my robe."

As everyone grabbed a piece of the white cloth, Jou whispered to Honda. "I kind of feel like Scrooge with the ghost of Christmas future."

Honda held back a snigger.

Shadi lifted Ryou's unconscious body so that he was sitting upright. Then, he touched the point of the key to his forehead and turned it. In an instant, the whole world around them evaporated, and in its place there was a hallway like the one in Yugi's soul. The left side was a wall of graying stones with lovely green ivy traveling up from the ground. A door with lots of beautiful carvings of suns, moons, flowers, and a number of other things stood in the middle. As the group approached the door, they saw a shiny curled handle appear. Shadi reached forward and grasped it, but immediately removed his hand.

"It burnt me," He said. "This must be a sort of security system."

They turned to the other wall. This one was also stone, and had ivy on it, but it was much different. The stones were solid black with streaks of red, and the ivy was dead and decaying. In the center, there was a large door with the Millennium symbol. The handle was almost identical to the curly silver one on the opposite door, except this one was gold.

"I think it's pretty safe to say whose room is whose," Honda said.

Yugi walked over to Ryou's door. As he reached for the handle, curling writing appeared in the stone. He watched in awe as it spelled out a message.

"_Inside this room, my secrets hide,_ _Though you may not be let inside._

_Only those who pass my test,_

_Can see the place my spirit rests._

_But enemies of mine beware,_

_The room you seek is not in there._

_The secrets gone, and there instead,_

_The hook, on which will hang your head."_

"Hey guys, look at this," Yugi called.

His friends walked over and read the message.

Jou scratched his head. "Huh. So I guess if you don't pass the test of this room, you die or something."

Shadi nodded. "Yes. This door is designed only to let in those whom he can trust, or those who have proven themselves trustworthy at this door."

"So…how do we get in?" Honda wondered.

As if answering his question, the words on the door twisted and shifted around until they spelled out a new message.

"_There are three ways to pass this door,_

_To find the place you're searching for._

_The first way is to say the phrase,_

_That grants your freedom from this maze._

_The second way is with the key,_

_That hides from any man but me._

_The final method's not as nice,_

_For it means you will sacrifice._

_Your blood will make the path appear,_

_But it will stay forever here."_

"This…is kind of occult," Jou muttered.

"Okay," Anzu said, reviewing their options. "There are three ways to open the door. With the password, the key, or with blood. We definitely don't want to use blood, so lets try the password first."

They all stood there thinking. Suddenly, the message disappeared to be replaced by a third sentence.

_Which will you choose?_

"Um…We'd like to try the password please," Yugi said.

"_The password's not an easy test,_

_Though of the three, I'd say it's best._

_Here is your clue, to help you choose,_

_The right word, with less chance to lose._

_In my native tongue please speak,_

_A word to make this old door creak."_

They all read and reread the message.

Honda scratched his head. "Er…so we have to guess what will make this door creak and say it in Ryou's native language."

"Hmm…" Jou pondered, "You know, I always thought that Ryou was Japanese."

"He is, kind of," Anzu explained, "But apparently he spoke something before Japanese."

Everyone considered the answer. Shadi spoke up. "Is he a transfer student?"

Yugi nodded. "Yeah, but he's transferred to a lot of schools in the past. He could be from anywhere."

"Does he have an accent?" Shadi wondered.

"Uh…actually, I think he does," Anzu said. "He had an accent when he first got here, but by now, we've all gotten so used to it. And I think he's managed to lose his accent mostly from hanging around us."

"What kind?" Shadi asked.

Anzu pondered for a moment. "I don't really know. All I know is that he sounded kind of funny when he talked to us."

"Well think about it," Jou urged. "What did he say?"

"I don't see you trying to help!" Anzu shouted.

"Look," Yugi said, "Why don't we try to figure out the answer first, and then try to say it in a foreign language?"

The both nodded.

"So what makes a door creak?" Honda wondered.

"Rust," Anzu said.

Yugi nodded, pleased at the answer. "Okay! Now we just have to see if anyone knows how to say 'rust' in a foreign language."

"I took Spanish last year," Honda said.

"I took French," Anzu added.

"Say them," Jou ordered.

First, Honda stepped up to the door. He shouted the word "rust" in Spanish. Everyone looked back and forth between each other.

"Did it work?" Honda asked.

As if in response, the word on the door reformed into five new ones.

"_I do not speak Spanish."_

"Got it wrong then," Jou said.

"Yeah," Anzu sighed. "He doesn't look like he was from Spain or Mexico. Otherwise he would be tanner."

"Try French then," Yugi suggested.

Anzu faced the door and said "rust" in French. This time, the door acted almost immediately.

"_Closer, but I do not speak French either."_

"It's almost like a game," Yugi murmured.

"Hmm…" Shadi said. "Maybe you should try to remember what he said when you first met him. Then we could guess his accent from there."

"Okay," Anzu agreed. She thought for a moment. "Um…Well he was supposed to introduce himself to the class. Does anyone remember what he sounded like?"

Jou spoke up. "Oh yeah! I remember now! I think he was the kid that I pushed into the dumpster."

"You pushed him in a dumpster and now he's your _friend_?" Anzu shrieked, appalled.

"Hey!" Jou countered, "I didn't actually push him _in_ the dumpster! I pushed him and he fell back into the side of it."

"Still, that's pretty mean," Yugi scolded.

"Stay on topic," Shadi commanded, "What did he sound like?"

Jou scratched his ear. "He said, 'My name is Bak-oo-ra Ryoh-kun. Umm…' Then he kind of scratched his head. 'I guess I did-hn really think of eh-neh-thing to say.' Then he laughed. 'But I'm glahd to be heah. It's defini-ely diffren than my lahs schoohl."

Honda laughed at his ridiculous pronunciation of the words.

"I think you're exaggerating," Anzu said, "His accent was more subtle. But that is kind of what he sounded like. He didn't say his 'r' or 't'. He said 'ah', and skipped the 't' entirely."

"But he says them now," Jou said.

Yugi was thinking. "That sounds like a British accent."

Anzu nodded vigorously. "Yeah! He's British!"

"What language do British people speak?" Honda wondered.

Jou whacked him over the head. "Idiot. They speak British."

"No," Anzu blurted, "British people speak English."

They all looked around at each other.

"Uh…anyone know English?" Yugi asked.

No one answered.

"Well this is a problem," Anzu sighed, "How do we say a word in a language we don't know?"

Shadi shrugged. "We could guess. Or we could assume that 'rust' is not the answer and say any English words we know."

"Let's start with the second one," Yugi suggested. "Anyone know _any_ English?"

"Uh…I know a little," Honda offered. He approached the door again. "Um…" He said something in awkward English and waited for a response. A flicker of hope crossed his face as the letters began to shift.

"_You have the language correct. The words are wrong."_

"Well, we're close!" Yugi said.

"What did you say anyway?" Jou asked.

Honda shrugged. "I said, 'My dog's name is Blankey'."

Jou burst out laughing. "And how the hell would that make the door open?"

"It's more English than you know!" Honda spat.

"English is hard to learn," Anzu blurted, changing the subject. "There are a lot of words in the language that we don't even use, and there's a ton of punctuation rules that always have exceptions."

Everyone stared at her.

"What?" She said indignantly. "My great-grandmother was English."

"So do you know any?" Yugi asked.

Anzu sighed. "Unfortunately no. I – "

Before she could finish her sentence, Ryou burst out of the door to Bakura's room, bloody and in only his boxers. He stared in shock at them for a moment before quickly shaking his head and running up to the door.

"I need to hide!" He shouted in English.

"What?" Jou asked.

The door creaked open. Suddenly, footsteps were heard from the inside of Bakura's room. A loud voice yelled, "I'LL FUCKING KILL YOU, RYOU!"

"C'mon!" Ryou shouted frantically, darting into the room.

Everyone else managed to get inside before Bakura could get to the door. The whinette roared irritably, pulling the ten-inch knife out of his shoulder where Ryou had pinned him to the wall.

"That kid is dead meat."

Ryou was panting, resting against the door of his room. He looked at his friends, suddenly embarrassed that he wasn't wearing clothes. He straightened up, looking at them in astonishment.

"How did you get in here?" He wondered.

"We used the Millennium Key," Yugi replied. "But what was that you said back there? Was that the password?"

Ryou nodded. "Yes. I said that I needed to hide."

"But that doesn't make doors creak!" Honda blurted.

"It's a trick," Ryou explained. "Every test is a trick. The password is simply a cry for help. It makes the door creak by making it open. If you need help, you're probably trying to escape from Bakura, which means you're usually alright in my books." He walked over to a beautiful wooden bureau, pulling out a clean shirt. "There is no key to unlock the door. The wall is covered in keys hanging on hooks that stretch forever, but none open this door. And the blood," He looked at them. "Is a trap specifically for Bakura. If you smear your blood on the door, it will open, but into a black void which will suck you in and smother you."

"That's…ingenious," Shadi said.

"That's creepy," Anzu added.

Yugi looked around the small, cream colored room. There was a dresser and a bed, but nothing else. "Um…not to sound rude, but this room is rather bland. Isn't there more to your soul?"

"Well of course," Ryou laughed, wiping the blood off his chest with a hand towel. "The door is right over there. But I'd prefer that you wait until I am decent before we go inside."

"Okay," Jou said, plopping down on the bed. He immediately sighed in happiness, stretching out. "Aww, man! What's in this thing? It's so soft!"

"It's down," Ryou said, pulling on the shirt. "I had a mattress like that in England."

"Cool!" Jou said, rolling happily into the blankets.

Ryou pulled out a pair of jeans and cautiously touched the hand towel on a point below his waist, inside his boxers. He hissed in pain, clenching his teeth. He whispered without thinking, "Ouch. That one's going to sting for a while."

"What is it?" Anzu asked.

Ryou blushed, now more aware that he was in his boxers, and that his friends were staring at him. "U-um…nothing. No need to worry, it's just – "

He was cut off by Honda quickly grabbing the leg of his boxers. The brunette pulled the edge of his underwear down slightly, just enough so they could see the wound. A loud gasp echoed through the room. Embedded in the tender flesh of his hip was a vicious bite mark, long sharp canines cutting into the skin and making blood drip down his thigh. He blushed harder, pulling the garment back up. Quickly, he wiped the blood off himself and pulled his jeans on, avoiding their eyes.

"How did that happen?" Anzu wondered, pointing at Ryou's hip.

Ryou looked away, putting the towel in a nearby bin. "Um…B-Bakura."

"Your Yami did that to you?" Yugi asked, thinking about Atem in the back of his mind.

Ryou nodded, keeping his back to them so they couldn't see the tears forming in his eyes. "Y-yeah. He drags me in there so he can hurt me like that. So he can cut and whip and rape me. That's just a blemish in comparison to some of the things he's done."

"That's awful!" Anzu cried.

"So the evil Bakura actually rapes you?" Jou asked. "Like, he holds you down and forces himself on you?"

"No," Ryou said. He was speaking without thought, the memories overtaking some of his discretion. "He chains me down to his bed and cuts through my clothes with knives. Then he stabs me, and slits my throat and wrists. He beats me until he starts breaking bones, and he doesn't stop until I beg for him to. Until I beg for rape." Tears rolled down his cheeks. "Anything but more pain."

His friends were in shock, eyes wide with tears starting to form at the corners. Even Shadi was having trouble keeping a straight face. Ryou though, smiled at them, his eyes hazy.

"I'm glad I have friends like you though. You make me feel better." He got to his feet, stepping over to a wooden door. "Would you like to see the rest of my soul?"

"Hold on a second, man," Jou snapped. "Shouldn't we deal with Bakura or something?"

Ryou blinked at him. "He can't get in. He never has. We don't have to deal with him for a good while." Then he chuckled. "C'mon, through here. I really want to show you."

He grabbed the handle, starting to turn it. However, he paused, staring at the door with a somewhat embarrassed air. Then he blushed, glancing behind him at his friends.

"Um…I'm sorry if it's a little cluttered. This is _everything_ about me, pretty much. Well, not all of it's in this part of the room but…yeah…"

"No problem. You should see my bedroom!" Yugi giggled, lightly patting his back. "Just show us!"

Ryou winced as he touched a bruise, but tried not to acknowledge it further. Smiling, he fully twisted the handle and pushed the door inward.

"Woah," was the collective answer. They had stepped into a beautiful plain, with a bright blue sky and little puffy clouds overhead. A colossal oak tree was in the middle, holding up a huge, elegant balcony. Its branches wound into the lovely railing around the large surface in sweeping curls and twists. Ryou led them across the springy grass, among little clusters of wildflowers. He was relaxed now, smiling and almost humming pleasantly. Once he stopped walking, they were in front of a ladder that stretched up to the tree house. Ryou stepped onto it and began to climb, urging his friends to follow. After a short moment, they had reached the edge of the balcony. The whinette stepped across the elegant linoleum floor, gesturing to the collection of objects throughout the room.

"This is where all my stuff is," He explained. He plopped lightly in a plushy blue armchair, exhaling with contentment.

His friends wandered around, marveling at all the interesting items. Honda stopped somewhat close to Ryou, peering down beside a large, ornate wooden toy box. Immaculate paintings of Ryou's friends and family were lying against the side, next to a box of cute Monster World figurines. Jou picked up one of the pictures, grinning.

"Hey, it's me!" Jou exclaimed.

Anzu picked up one of herself, looking at the ones of Yugi, Honda, Shizuka, Ryuji and a lot of their other friends. "Did you paint all these?"

"Yep," Ryou replied, smiling.

"Wow. That's incredible," Anzu said, putting the canvas back down as if it were made of glass. They weren't exactly Da Vinci's, but they were exceptionally well done. Ryou seemed to have quite the hand at art.

They wandered about the room, examining things strewn throughout the open floor. Shadi stood off to the side and watched, somewhat amused. A person's soul held all of their interests, alongside their hopes, fears and talents. There were probably some fascinating things throughout the stacks of organized objects.

"A violin?" Yugi blurted, picking up a small instrument.

Ryou nodded, walking over. "Uh huh. Been playing since I was seven years old. My grandfather taught me."

"Can we hear?" Honda asked.

Ryou blushed slightly, taking the instrument from Yugi as it was handed to him. "A-are you sure?"

Everyone nodded. Shadi even smiled a little.

The whinette inhaled, setting the violin on his shoulder. Breathing nervously, he began to play. The high, lovely sound poured from the instrument's mouth, echoing through the softly swaying leaves overhead. Anzu smiled, closing her eyes. Yugi watched in awe as bow moved across the strings, slowly stroking music out of them. He'd never seen a real violin before, and was mystified at how the bow rubbing against it could make music. After a minute or two, Ryou stopped, letting his arm rest for a moment. Loud clapping greeted the silence, making him blush.

"Do you know Flight of the Bumblebee?" Yugi asked.

Ryou grinned. "Actually yeah, I do know the interlude."

This time, the music was much quicker, each note fierce and loud. Jou and Honda's eyes followed the bow back and forth, looking like buzzing flies. The sounds were sharp, and seemed to cut the echo off of each other as the instrument spit them into the air. Ryou's wrist was cramping by the time he finished. He set the violin down, exhaling.

"You're awesome," Jou said, still dumbstruck.

Ryou's cheeks were tinged pink. "Thanks."

Anzu started walking around again, looking at all the Victorian furniture and the objects resting on them. She smiled as she touched a large bureau, wary of opening it lest she break something. How interesting everything seemed! So many confusing, fascinating items, each unraveling an untold tale of Ryou's soul. However, it was Jou that noticed a key part of Ryou's room throughout their examining. Somehow easy to miss, there was a massive refrigerator in the middle of the balcony, glinting silver with blue accents around the edges. Jou immediately hopped up, pointing to it.

"You have food in here?" He shouted.

Ryou laughed, walking over. "Yup. Programmed it myself. Well, I guess 'programmed' isn't the right word. This thing is actually a figment of my imagination." He chuckled. "Watch this." Then opened up the door, and stuck his hand inside with his head facing away. "Deluxe baked potato, hot." Suddenly, he pulled out a plate with a steaming baked potato, complete with sour cream, butter, cheese and bits of ham.

Jou drooled. He ran up and gripped Ryou's shoulders. "This fridge gives you whatever food you want?"

"Yeah. Just stick your hand in, turn away, and tell the fridge what to make," Ryou explained. He grinned. "I've found that it also helps if you add the temperature, because I usually end up with cold soup otherwise."

Jou and Honda bolted over, fighting over which of them would get to stick his hand in the empty fridge first.

"Take turns, guys," Ryou said, rather amused.

"Nachos!" Jonouchi shouted.

Honda interjected with "No, steak!"

"Burgers!"

"French Fries!"

"Ice Cream!"

Suddenly, a large wad of food was fired out of the fridge, hitting them both in the face. They were knocked back, and watched in shock as the door shut itself and the fridge turned away from them, irritated.

Yugi and Anzu started laughing.

"Cool fridge!" Anzu exclaimed.

Ryou smiled. "Thanks."

Anzu and Yugi watched him look off at the clouds, a dreamy look in his eyes. They couldn't help but feel that Ryou's soul was one of the most beautiful places they'd ever been.

Suddenly, Shadi started yelling. He was hunched over the edge of the balcony, gripping the rail in fear. "Help! Help!"

"What is it?" Yugi wondered, glancing over.

The Egyptian man gave him a terror-stricken look. "It's Bakura! He's broken into the room!"

Shocked, the group ran over to the edge of the balcony. Sure enough, Bakura was running across the grass, shirtless and sporting an awful knife wound in his shoulder. Ignoring the crippling pain, he began to climb up the ladder.

"Get back!" Ryou shouted, pushing the ladder down.

Bakura roared in frustration, falling hard in the grass. "SON OF A FUCKING BITCH, RYOU! LET ME UP THERE! I'M GONNA KILL YOU!

"You leave Ryou alone!" Yugi cried.

Snarling, Bakura began to climb up the bark of the tree, dismissing the sharp spikes of wood that were cutting into his bare feet. He moved like a spider, shooting up the trunk until he was at the balcony. He hoisted himself inside, panting and grinning.

"Don't you try to run, maggot," He growled, lunging at Ryou.

The younger whinette ducked out of the way just in time. He then began to run around the balcony, Bakura leaping to his feet in no time and pursing him furiously. They dashed around the linoleum floors, Ryou only half a step ahead of his Yami. Suddenly, he felt a sharp tug on the back of his shirt as a strong hand grabbed hold of it, and was pulled down on his rear. Bakura smirked, kneeling down and pinning him to the tree.

"H-h-how did you get in here?" Ryou demanded.

Bakura scoffed. "You think I'm deaf? I heard what the password was, idiot. After hanging around you for these past years I've picked up on your stupid language." He laughed. "You slipped up. You yelled it out of panic, because you saw your friends here, didn't you? Idiot." He gripped his hair, tugging his head a bit." Well now I know how to get in, and I know that you can't change the password. It's encrypted into your brain. You understand? Now you've got no where to hide. And for lashing out against me so violently," He pulled out a long knife, touching it to Ryou's throat. "You're going to be punished."

Ryou screamed as the blade ripped into his neck, cutting down and across his shoulder. Blood gushed from the wounds, splattering across the now violently rippling tree behind him. Upon being forced back, the wind within his little paradise had begun to whip up, tousling hair and furrowing clothing. Bakura's ivory locks flared erratically around him, almost like snow-white fire.

"Ryou!" Was the collective cry.

"Shut up!" Bakura roared. He literally ripped Ryou's jeans off, throwing the denim scraps over the edge of the balcony, the shreds blowing wildly through the gale that swirled around them. With a sadistic smirk, he pulled the teen's boxers down his legs, tugging them away and throwing them down to settle in the grass. He licked his lips, jamming his knee into Ryou's stomach to prevent him from moving.

"Agh!" Ryou choked.

Bakura started to undo his own jeans, throwing them off. At this, Jou and Honda jumped into action. They lunged at Bakura, fists at the ready. However, the whinette was fully prepared for them. He slashed the knife at their oncoming forms, leaving harsh gashes in their faces. Honda held his bleeding cheek, wincing.

"Get off of him!" He shouted.

Jou wiped his sliced lip. "Yeah, or we'll - !"

"Stop!" Ryou ordered. Everyone froze, even Bakura. Ryou looked away from them, tears in his eyes. "Let him do what he wants. Just get out of here."

"We can't just leave you!" Anzu cried.

Bakura managed to slip his own boxers off. "Shut the hell up! It's not like you can do a thing now!"

A bloodcurdling howl escaped Ryou's throat as Bakura pushed deep inside him. Blood immediately began to seep from his entrance. He cried loudly as his Yami started pounding into him, holding his thighs so Ryou's knees were inches from his own shoulders.

Jou and Honda winced with every thrust, trying to shield their eyes but unable to look away.

"Oh God," Honda gurgled.

Anzu was crying. Yugi was just staring in utter shock, tears also rolling down his cheeks. Ryou was in so much pain. Sweat was pouring down his face, and his eyes were watering massively. His body spasmed every time Bakura touched him. The older whinette, on the other hand, was greatly enjoying himself. He kissed and licked up Ryou's pale chest, drawing blood with his sharp canines. Grinning, he moved to the teen's neck, lightly brushing it with his lips. Ryou was almost confused for a moment before Bakura bit hard into the crook, ripping into the flesh like tissue paper. The smaller whinette screamed, blood gushing down his body. This was too much for everyone watching.

"Enough!" Shadi shouted. He ripped a hunk of bark off the oak tree and shucked it at Bakura's head.

The whinette snarled, glaring murderously at Shadi. However, he only seemed to care for a moment and resumed pounding Ryou into the tree.

"No! No!" Ryou cried. "Please stop!"

Bakura shuddered. "God, I love it when you scream."

With a few final thrusts, Bakura released hard inside his Hikari. Ryou shrieked, the hot liquid painful on his torn muscles. He fell back into the tree, sobbing loudly. Bakura, panting, pulled out of him. He looked at the younger whinette's tear-strewn face before slapping him hard across the cheek.

"Stop crying," He snarled.

Ryou whimpered helplessly. He slid down the tree until he was almost on his back, his elbows barely supporting him. Blood was gushing from his body, making his already pale skin even whiter. He looked up at his Yami, his vision blurry due to his tears and his fading consciousness.

"Why…Bakura…" The entire group, save for Bakura, was hanging onto his every word. He seemed not to notice that they were even there. "Why do you hate me so much?"

At this, the older whinette blinked. Suddenly, he snickered, before bursting out into hysterical laughter.

"Because you're weak!" He roared, holding his sides. "You're pathetic! You can't even defend yourself!" Tears were forming in the corner of his eyes as he sneered down at his Hikari. "I don't hate you, I _loathe_ you. You're worthless. The only thing I can stand about you is this gorgeous body." He stroked Ryou's soft stomach and hips, grinning. "The only thing you will ever be is a stupid, disposable sex toy."

"Shut up!"

Anzu ran up and slapped him as hard as she could across the face. The whinette fell onto his back, snarling.

"You little bitch!" He shouted.

He lunged at her, but Ryou grabbed onto his ankle. The older whinette fell down, hitting the linoleum hard. A low growl escaped him as he leered over his shoulder at his Hikari. To his annoyance, the smaller boy didn't seem frightened by his gaze. The wind picked up even more, slapping Bakura's hair into his own face. He snarled ferociously.

"Insolent!" Bakura grabbed his knife, pinning Ryou back against the tree. "Haven't you learned not to piss me off by now, Ryou?" A horrifying laugh followed his harsh words. He touched the knife to the smaller whinette's forehead. "You don't mess with me. It's gets you hurt. And we don't want that, do we?"

Ryou started crying. "I don't care anymore! You can't hurt me any worse than you already have!"

Bakura held up the knife, his face faltering. A scowl laced his features. "I hate it when you cry, god damn it!"

The blade sunk deep into Ryou's left eye socket. He howled in agony, thrashing against the tree. Bakura withdrew the knife and jammed it into his other eye. Blood poured from his face, covering up the tear stains on his cheeks. The Yami seemed satisfied, but gave the handle of his weapon a twist for good measure. The jolt of pain from this was enough to remove Ryou's remaining grip on consciousness. Bakura stood up, grinning down at his seemingly dead Hikari.

"That's what you get, twerp."

"R-Ryou!" Anzu shrieked, running over to the whinette's discarded body. She was trembling, afraid to touch his bleeding skin.

"Bakura…I think you killed him!" Yugi added, walking up behind Anzu.

The taller male snorted, curling his lip back in distaste. "Nah. Lemme see." He knelt down next to Ryou, touching his chest. Though almost gone, the flutter of a heartbeat was still present beneath the skin. He snickered. "See? Still alive." His hand tightened around the hilt of his knife. "We'll have to fix that." The gale around them was roaring now, his words almost inaudible. But no one missed what he had said.

A collective cry of "No!" was drowned out by the horrifying squelch of blood splatter. The blade was dug deep into Ryou's heart, gouging a spluttering hole into the ivory flesh. Dark crimson gushed out around it, dyeing the white of both men's flesh a more grisly shade. As the last of his life was drained out of him, Ryou simply twitched, coughing up a small trickle of red that curled down his already stained cheek. His flooded lungs stopped filling. His ruined heart stopped beating. Ryou was dead.

"Ha…ha-hah…ha hah, ha haa, ha hah ha!"

Bakura clutched his own gore-soaked stomach, unable to keep from laughing. An awfully giddy grin dominated his face as he surveyed the damage he'd done to the poor teen. Ryou's body was a crumpled mass of cuts and gashes, spewing beautiful crimson blood onto itself and the floor around it. The older whinette ran his fingertips down the boy's exposed chest, collecting the fluid along his skin. With a throaty purr, he ran his tongue along the stained tips.

"Ah…the thicker the blood, the sweeter it tastes," He sighed to himself, sucking contentedly on his middle finger.

Jonouchi was utterly livid. "You bastard! How could you do that to him?" He swung his fist around, the heavy blow blocked but still felt. Bakura winced, his upper lip curling.

"What, you think he's dead for good? None of this is real!" At the flabbergasted looks on the faces of Ryou's friends, Bakura's face split once again into a malicious grin. "It's all in his head! Anything that happens here has no effect on the real world!" He smirked down at his Hikari's body, giving it a kick for good measure. "Sure, he can feel the pain, but it's not like he's actually injured. Do you know how many times I've killed him in these rooms? It's endless! The poor fool's my immortal sex slave!"

He laughed wildly, his head thrown back. The wind suddenly calmed. Around them all, the edges of the room started to fizzle into black nothingness. The floor beneath their feet ceased to exist, and they stood on empty space. As the lovely world within Ryou's mind disappeared, so did Bakura, the malicious grin on his face lingering even as his body disintegrated. The museum began to once again fill in the blackness that flooded their vision. They touched down lightly on the tile within the large, sweeping building. And as they returned to the real world, they found themselves standing around Ryou, staring at his hunched and shaking form. He was sobbing uncontrollably, convulsing and gripping his clothes in a feverish desperation. But he was alive.

"Ryou, you're okay!" Jou exclaimed, kneeling down by his friend.

"No…" The whinette moaned softly. "No, I…I'm not. Please…I can't take this anymore. The pain's unbearable. And now you…you all had to see me like that…"

Anzu touched his shoulder. "It's okay, Ryou, w-we'll find a way to – "

"There isn't one!" Ryou didn't meet her eye, but he began giggling softly. Dementedly. "I'm his reincarnation! The ring will chose no one but me, and I can't get rid of it! I can't! I'm his! I'll always be his! Ha hah ha!"

Honda grabbed his wrist, tugging him a bit. "Get a hold of yourself!"

They watched, horrified, as the frail boy's head lolled back, his eyes wide and depraved. Glittering tears seemed to frame each wild brown orb. He chuckled a bit, his left hand twitching against the floor. His chest was heaving, his face washed out, and his hair sticking up at even more erratic angles. He looked utterly insane.

"Kill me," He whispered. "Please, just kill me. I can't do this anymore."

Yugi leapt closer to him. "Don't talk like that! Ryou, you can't give into him that easily! There's got to be a way to get you out of this!" He turned to Shadi, eyes wide. "Right? Isn't there?"

The man shifted uncomfortably. His gaze was locked downward and his voice solemn. "Your pale friend is right. He is the reincarnation of Bakura, and therefore his ideal vessel. The ring will take no other."

Ryou nodded, one eyelid starting to droop a bit. "Have you ever noticed me staring off, or getting quiet, or suddenly passing out? Do you know what happens then?" He giggled weakly. "He rapes me! He raaaapes me! So hard! So much pain! Blood! Blood everywhere! _My_ blood! Ah ha haa ha hah! Ha hah!"

He slumped back into the wall, his friends watching him in alarm. Shadi sighed, a depressing air about him mingling with Ryou's frightening one.

"I had no idea he had lost so much of his sanity," He said quietly. "To keep from revealing his true nature, his other half must possess him immediately after each session of torture. Long enough to quell his broken mind, until he regains his grip on reality. I…I had no idea…the fate of the poor soul who would carry his lineage…"

"No, there's nothing wrong with him!" Jou shouted. He grabbed Ryou's shoulders, shaking the boy hard. "C'mon, snap out of it, man! You're okay! You're just fine!"

Ryou met his eyes, ignoring a strand of drool that was curling from his own lip. "I am fine. Just fine. Look at me, I feel fantastic!"

Anzu gripped her sleeve, biting hard into her lip as she fought back tears. She didn't look at Shadi as she asked, "How could he be like this? So torn and broken? After how normal he seemed in his own mind?"

"I think most of it has to do with Bakura breaking into his room. More to do with you all being there to witness his agony." The Egyptian man knelt down, watching Ryou with a frustrated look in his eyes. "As strange as it seems, the room within one's mind is incredibly fragile. It is so easily destroyed, with the simplest of things. For his own blood to be shed over his sanctum, his only safe place in his whole world…it shook him terribly. His death there seemed to force him to realize that there is truly nowhere he can escape to. A soul drenched in its own gore is never a pleasant one, or a whole one. He really…he is trapped. Completely trapped."

"Please tell me you're exaggerating," Anzu murmured, unable to see through the saline that clung to her eyelashes.

Shadi's voice was soft but absolute. "He has affirmatively zero chance of rescue or redemption. In saying that his only way out is death…" He cast his gaze aside. "He is right."

Honda shook his head, refusing to believe what he had heard. "That's not true! We can save him! We can save him!"

Suddenly, Ryou stopped shaking. Everyone jolted to attention, watching him nervously. He simply got to his feet and walked, expressionless, out of the circle of people around him. No one moved. No one dared to even breathe as they watched him step over to a nearby display. Suits of armor stood proudly before him. Some rather new, some dating back millennia. Ryou observed the metal plates and lovely gold trimming, touching his chin thoughtfully. For a moment, everyone thought – or hoped – that he had returned to his old self again.

"Ryou, are you feeling better?" Yugi asked carefully.

The whinette stopped at the very last suit of armor, examining it closely. At the feet of each display mannequin, standing upright, was a long sword. This weapon, planted delicately into the last set, was a bright glimmering silver, the handle encrusted with emeralds and sapphires. He smiled, lightly touching the hilt.

"Bakura is asleep," He murmured, though his airy voice seemed to echo through the spacious room. "Worn out from two consecutive attacks. This rarely happens. Never happens."

Jou spoke uneasily. "Yeah, what about it, man?"

Their eyes widened as Ryou gripped the handle of the sword, loosening it and pulling it free of its holder. Immediately, a loud, shrieking alarm sounded. His friends gripped their ears to shield themselves from the noise, but he ignored it, still smiling down at the weapon in his hands.

"Isn't it pretty? So clean, so elegant. I'll bet this won so many fierce battles." He chuckled, turning the sword so that the blade was aimed at the floor.

"Ryou, what are you going to do with that?" Anzu said sharply, stepping closer to him. She reached out to grab the weapon but he knocked her hand away.

He grinned at her, one eye seeming kind and gentle, as he usually was, and the other reflecting the shredded mess of a soul he now withheld. "Now, now. You'll get your turn. I want to see it first."

"Ryou, put the sword down!" Honda shouted.

Jou rushed forward. "Yeah, drop it!"

But as he came at the whinette, Ryou nimbly stepped out of the way. He sighed, his head flopping back so that his bangs hung out of his face. "You're going to make this difficult, aren't you?"

Yugi sounded frantic. "Ryou, put the sword back! Security already knows you took it! The alarm's going off!"

"What, this noise?" The pale boy waved a careless hand, chuckling. "Sweet music."

"You're really starting to scare us, Ryou!" Anzu pressed. "Put the sword down!"

The whinette tilted his head, giving her an innocently confused look. Slowly, he lifted the weapon, almost as if he were brandishing it. Then he flipped it over, taking his time, letting the point come to rest just inches from his chest. Aimed straight at his heart.

"No! Ryou, no!" Yugi gasped.

"Stop it, man!" Honda bellowed, swinging at him. Ryou dodged, still looking bewildered.

"Just relax. It won't hurt," He replied, his head lolling around to lay on his right shoulder. "Just a pinprick."

"Give us the sword!" Jou ordered, grabbing his arm.

Ryou delicately lifted his leg, kicking the blonde sharply in the ribs. Jonouchi fell to his knees, coughing and struggling for breath. He looked up at his friend through watery eyes, reaching weakly for him. The whinette stepped aside, smiling.

"It's okay. It'll all be okay soon." He seemed to be speaking to himself more than the others.

"Ryou, no!" Anzu shrieked, gripping the collar of her shirt. "Don't do it! Please, don't do it!"

Suddenly, the whinette twitched. His left eye began blinking rapidly, his shoulder jerking alongside it. He looked as though he were having a seizure. But just as quickly, he stopped. He stood staring with awe at his once convulsing arm, as if he'd never seen anything like it.

"He's stirring," He blurted, staring at his limb. "He doesn't know what I'm doing yet. But he'll know soon. He'll try to stop me."

"Ryou, we're trying to stop you! And we're the good guys!" Honda shouted.

Loud footsteps were heard over the blaring of the burglar alarm. A large number of armed security officers began forming a circle around them.

"Drop the sword, boy," A man with a megaphone ordered. "Do not attempt to escape. Do not use that artifact as a weapon. If you do, you will be tried as an adult in a court of law."

Ryou sighed. "No time. None left." Then he raised the sword once more, holding it at arms length with the tip ready to spear him through.

Officers began shouting.

"Ah! What's he doing?"

"He's gonna kill himself!"

"Somebody grab him!"

"Stop him!"

"Hurry, he's gonna suicide!"

"Please, don't do this, Ryou!" Yugi pleaded, his eyes brimming with tears.

Shadi stayed silent, staring endlessly off into the ground with a sense of shame.

Ryou smiled, tilting his head back. A soft, pleasant sigh passed from his lips.

"Thank you so much for all you've done," He uttered, his expression one of peace. "Your love has helped me in ways I cannot express. I hope that we meet again someday, in a new time. A freer place."

"No! Ryou, no!"

"Don't do it!"

"Stop!"

Jou and Honda lunged for him at the same time, arms extended and desperately grabbing for anything they could reach. But Ryou was quick. He was not ready to hesitate. Not now that he had just a shred of control left over his own body. Not now that he had an escape from the eternal hell inside his head. He forced his arms down, plunging the blade of the sword deep into his chest. Dark crimson blood gushed out around the wound in heavy spurts. It stained his clothes, his hair, his lovely, smiling face. The floor around them was showered. Jou and Honda had flecks of scarlet mottling their cheeks. Limply, he slid down to his knees, his expression never changing. They watched, horrified, transfixed, as his lips moved slightly. Harsh, unforgiving words slipped past.

"Hikari…you…insolent…little…"

And Ryou slumped to the ground, collapsing onto his side. The blade that stuck him through held no trace of silver any longer. His blood marred the shinning metal surface beyond recognition. It pooled around him, trailing down from his soft peach lips and dripping from the fatal wound in his flesh. And he smiled once again, his gentle brown eyes staring off into nothingness. He didn't even see the petrified faces of his friends as blackness overtook him. But he was smiling. His lungs ran out of blood to feed oxygen. His heart had nothing more to pump. His mind fizzled into emptiness, never to hold his thoughts, hopes, talents or loves ever again. But he was smiling.

Yugi was dumbstruck, alongside any and all onlookers. "R…Ryou…"

And without shifting his gaze, the whinette stopped breathing.

Stopped moving.

Lifeless.

Dead.

But free at last.

**Kage: Please review!**

**Hoshi: -sniffles- Poor Ryou!**

**Kage: Yeah, yeah. Just a story, it's okay. -pets head- Sorry if the writing style varies a bit. The first half of this story was actually written about a year ago and we only finished it yesterday. We tried to edit it but...yeah...sorry for an inconsistency.**

**Hoshi: Thanks for reading!**


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